By staff Reporter
The lights are back on in Masvingo government offices after the government acted fast to fix the electricity crisis, which was sparked by a TellZim News report.
Government offices, including the District Registry and Provincial Registry, were severely affected by the power outage, but swift action by authorities has restored electricity, ensuring minimal disruption to essential services.
The prepaid electricity meters, introduced to streamline payments, had backfired, leaving critical offices in darkness and crippling service delivery.
Government complexes, housing, Provincial Registry, Legal Aid Directorate, and Prison Services among others, were among those severely affected.
The Public Works department, responsible for maintaining government infrastructure, was also impacted, despite being responsible for facilitating payments for other departments.
TellZim News highlighted the plight of these offices, where employees were struggling to provide essential services to citizens due to the lack of electricity. The situation was made direr by the fact that some government offices were operating in deplorable conditions.
TellZim News had previously exposed the toilet crisis at the Provincial Registry offices, where over 100 people were sharing a single toilet, creating inhumane conditions. The public outcry that followed prompted the public works department to take action, and the facilities were finally renovated.
Following the recent publication on the electricity crisis, the government has reportedly taken steps to address the challenge.
Efforts to get a comment from Masvingo Public Works boss Peter Muzite were futile as there connection interruption several times when TellZim News reached out.
However, officials who spoke to TellZim News confirmed the development saying they were happy with the swift action by the responsible authorities.
“I can confirm that the lights are back on in most of the affected offices. The government has taken swift action to address the issue, and we’re grateful for the attention to this matter,” said the official.
Another source, also speaking on condition of anonymity, thanked TellZim News for shedding light on the issue.
“Kudos to TellZim News for exposing the electricity crisis in our offices,” the source said. The report sparked action, and we’re hopeful that this will bring lasting relief to our offices and the people we serve,” said another official.
Government departments, including education, police, and the army, owe Masvingo City Council millions of local currency for water services, further straining the city’s resources.
